Drilling string with an inside cutting-off sub incorporated therein



' June 19, 1945.

K. E. WAGGENER- DRILLING STRING WITH AN INSIDE CUTTING-OFF SUBINCORPORATED THEREIN' Filed May 10, 1945 Patented June 19, 1945 DRILLINGSTRING WITH AN INSIDE OUT- TING-OFFSUBINC'OBPORATED THEREIN i v pKennetl fEgwaggener, Brea, Calif. I ApplicationMay. 10, 1943, Serial No.486,453

, 14 plan n (01. 164- 037) This invention has todowith earthboringapparatus and particularly deep well drilling tools and isaninside cutting off device inthe' form of what is knownin the industryas -'asubfaand which device-in this invention comprises a'cuttingofltooldesigned to be directlyincorporat'ed as a make-up part ofthe pipe and drill'co'llar assem' Y combination set includingan-incorporated, drill string 'cutting-ofi tool oi an' inside type and apeculiar wrench and-stem to actuate a'complementary element ofthecutting ofitool.

More definitely, an object of the invention is to provide aninside-cutting-off tool having a bar- I rel adapted to be 'joined up ina drill orother tool my and to remain in situ in the string duringregular drilling operations, and oth'er ada'ptw,

tional use-as may arise in the ken of operatives and others justified-inadaptationsofr the tool.

' It is acommon-event 'inthe deep well industry string as a normalsection of the string and which is provided with means operative at willwhereby tocut' the barrel transversely to free all upper part of thetool, that is the drill string, to the largest extent possible in theevent that lower tohave to -introduce whatis known as an in- 'sidecutting ofi tool intoastring ofdrill pipe or othertubular drillingassembly parts to cut off andiecover as much-as possible of theassemblyinsuch instanceswherethe' working tool or employed implementsmaybe so firmlylodgedin the hole or a wellthatonly an upper and freeportion 'of the string or'of string parts can possibly be flshed outofthehole; that is as much as is possible is cut 011- from the frozen andlower-J parts. 1'. The

common practice is when cuttingeofi a. drill string in a' hole tc employa s'pecial' whole made up Y stringer-1d. provide it withron'e'orvanotherrformiof inside cutting itool,. or\ possibly an. outside,cutter (iijspace isavailabler and. run. this special string downin the'welli'string .which .is :ttow be. cutiiofiv. Stated'in :its ibroadestrte'm s, the present invene tion has foran object. to entirely e1iminate,mak-

ing. ;up;;a.ispecial.i string and -;cutting, off ,tool ,as-

' sembly; and-hthe use thereof,v and, instead,- to p 90- vitleza;drilleorj cotherrtool string ;-cutti n Qfiiisub poratedinthe dri lgrother toolma sezu strin ,5Ql' l t1 vent. hewq i snd l Qm he $99 ih a ial rincd qiei iis idiilifciiiiing '59, e t ve 9 F5 1??? f 2i.1irther.ob.1ect 6ft theiinventionfis provide a" simple, "substantial;"compac "easily installed andas easily remov'e'fii cuttih'g off'subiajssembiy toiibeindorporatedias'fa' unit in'a" drill tool string,

' trf dtii r adaptation and {which is) provided with normally? inactivecuttin'g ofi 'bits," and means 'in in iwil -ji; ,1 .n

e e 'i b ie he'inv iionii 'ri fp vlde a dri1lstring incorporated;cutting-oi? unit 'which' 'pr0vide's for the flow of the usualfcireulatiofluid or 1 m down the drilling string; a jA'h'o'ther object o'ftheinvention 1s" to provide a P P i m nd-m a i ire aiinsgi bi s parts ofthe string may be unpullably frozen. 1

The invention consists in certain advancements 'in the deep welldrilling industry as set forth in the ensuing disclosure and having withthe above, additional objects and advantages as hereinafter developed,and whose construction, combinations, and details ofmeans,'and"the"manner-of opera tion will be made manifest in thefollowing 'description'of the herewith illustrative embodiment; it beingunderstood that modifications, variations and adaptations-may beresorted to within the scope, principle and spirit of the invention; andthat its' range of. industrial applicationis not 'intendedtobelimited vv Figure 1 is'an'elevational; axial section of the string cutting-offassembly or'unit, in normal, non-cutting position of its cuttingbits andtheir cageion'e bit only being shown in place).

Figure 2 is a side elevation of :a longitudinally broken stud-wrench bywhich the bit: cage. is

rotated to'efifect a cut ofi operation.

"Figure'3 is a top. plan of the disassembled cage to shownits'wrenchsocket.

v Figure 415 a cross-section on line 44 of Fig.1. Figure 5 is a top planof the disassembled group of stationary cutter-thrusting cams, and

Figure 6 is an inner side face view of one of the cutter cams; t I i VFigure? is a side view-of a drill string incorporating the insidecutting-off toolsi jl w Careful distinction should bemade as between theinstant cutting-off tooland the conventional types of cutting-01f toolswhich require tobe made up in a tool string having for its only purposeto cut off recoverable parts from aworking ordrill string which in partis lost or frozen in a hole or well. Incontrast to such special string,cut,-

ting-ofi tool string, this invention is" an incor porated cutting-oilvtool to be directly mounted in a string made up'forfs'om other primary.,purpose, of vwhich the T commonest, example .is: ra drill stringincluding drillzpipe, drill collars and anattached' drilling bit, andone vcr more; of these A shoulder 4 of and in the bore of the barrel ,2,3

supports a ball bearing 5.

The barrel cutting-01f device. I Turna'bly fitted in the barrel 2 is ashorttubular cage 6 having a plurality of longitudinally extending andthrough windows I having across their upper ends suitable pivot rods 8on which are hung relative, pendent cutting bits 9 whose bite ends faceoutward towardthe near bore face of the barrelZ and rest in cut-startingchannels ID in the barrel, The lower, innerside end POI-1 tions of thebits 9 have cam heels II which constantly bear on upwardlyfacing bevelcams l2 formed on the upper ends of stiff cam posts I3 inserted inrespective slots; I4 in the lower margin of the cage 6. Constructionallyto facilitate assembly of the parts the cam posts I3 have wide,segmental feet 1.3a grouped'in ring form and carried on the upper raceof the said ball bearing 5. It will beseen, therefore, that the cage 6is adapted to readily rotate in its enclosing :barrel 2.

and that during, such rotation thebits will bear directly on the. boreface of the barrel for cutting function. To produce this cuttin itisessential, that the points of the bits 9;be powerfully pressed downontothe cams l2 and by reaction thereof forced out and into, themetal ofthe barrel presented thereto, I

. The bit pressingmeans. includes a strong, suit ably;compressed helicalspring upwardly lodg-i ing against the near butt end of. thesub 3, andat its lower end seating, onrthenear race of an upper ball bearing I6seated onv the-upper end. of the bit cage 6. It will be obviousg-at.once that the action of the spring on the ,cageis to force. it down tothe extent permitted by the..bit cams I2 and the confining wall of the.barrel '2. But this constant pressure contact of. the'bitson thebarrelface has no disadvantagesince the entire unit turns and axiallymoves bodilywith any motion which the tool string, in which it ismounted is given or has during :normal function of: the tool carried andactuated by the tool string. This brings out the distinction that thecuttingoff device of this invention is not operated by, but-operates on,its parent string.

i To operate the cutters or bits Q'thecage is here shown as having anon-circular to mouth. or socket bore section l'lmwith back-bevelledlips l8-l9 for the ready longitudinal pass of; a complementary;polygonal headed stud-wrenchizfl, Fig.- 2, the stem of. which is adaptedto be made upof-suitable rodsectionsto the length needed to lower thewrench head tothe socket section I! of the one, of say severalcutting-off units in a the cut-off proceeds the bits areforcedoutwardlyon and by the cams coincidentally with'which action thebit cage 6 drifts,.under bit control, down the'bore of the barrel. Whentheflnal cut is made the spring forces the bits out under the raw bottomedge of the upper cut off part of the barrel.

It is understood that this type of cutting-off unit is in the nature ofan emergency measure and frequently there may be no need of bringing itinto cutting operation; since no part of the drilling string, in manycases, is frozen.

The unit elements are severally so constructed as to provide a clearcentral passageway for circulation flow.

What is claimed is:

1. A deep Well string cutting off unit including a barrel having. at itsends means for connecting upper and lower parts of the string and toconstitute a regular connection in the string without interference ofthe usual string operations, a

rotary mechanism housed in the barrel and carrying. expansible cutters,means normally expanding the cutters against the wall of the barrel, andmeans independent of and insertible into the barrel for rotativelymoving said mechanism in and effecting severance of the barrel.

-2. A deep-well, tool-string incorporated cutting-off mechanismincluding a string sub' and cutter-means mounted therein, and meansinsertible into and removable from the string for actuating saidmechanism, said cutter means including a carrier turnably mounted on thesub and cutters movably, mounted on the carrier for cutting engagementwith the Wall of the sub, means for feed-in the cutters into the Wall;said insertible means co-rotatively interengaging the carrier andoperatively independent of the string sub.

3. A unitary cutting off apparatus adapted for incorporation in a welltool operatin string and through which usual fluid circulation may bemaintained and including a barrel connective at its ends toadjacentstring pipe sections, and a rotary barrel wall cutting meanssupported in the barrel and adapted for actuation by; and the freepassage therethrough of an extraneous tool device; v said meansincluding acarrier having-.aset: of expansible'bits and. being turnablymounted on the barrel, means yieldably pressin the bits intocuttingengagement with the wall of the barrel; the said presser meansand the carrier having a coaxial passageway for the application of theturning tool. l

4. A self-contained, self-cutting-off apparatus foruse with a well-tool,operating string and'including a barrel member attachable at its ends"to and for making an intermediate join-t section between upper andlower string pipe s'ections'a system of cutting bits operative in saidmember, means in the member for thrusting the bits into cutting positionon the member, a cutter carrier supported by said member for relativerotation and a device acting on said rotary carrier to effect a constantthrust of the bits onto said-means, a rotative tool splining' into thecarrier by insertionthrough the said member. I I

5. A unitary self-cutting-ofi assembly for attachment in a well tooloperating string'ja'nd including a barrel member attachable: atits endsto string sections,'a system of cutting bits operative in said member,actuable means in said member for thrusting t'he bits into effect onsaid memfor actuating the actuable means to effect an orbital cutteraction.

6. A unitary cutting-01f apparatus foruse in a well-tool operatingstring and including a barrel member attachable to and between upper andlower sections of the string and having end parts for effecting suchattachment and being hollow for usual interior well tooloperations, asystem of cutting bits operative on said member to sever it, means forrotating the system of bits for cutting function, said member rotativelysupporting said means {said means including a rotary carrier ed in thebarrel, a system of radially movable cutting bits mounted in the cage tobe rotated thereby, abutments in the barrel to expand the bits duringtheir rotation, orbitally, and means mounted in the barrel to exertcutting pressure on the several bits, and means independent of thecutter bits for rotating the cage.

9. A unitary cutting-on tool for combination in a given well, apparatusstring and including an external barrel directly connective to sectionsof the string, a cage rotatively mounted in the barrel, a system ofmovably mounted bits in the cage to transversely sever the barrel, meansto expand the cutting ends of the bits and means constantly acting toforce the bits against the independently of said barrel to efiectseverance oi the barrel.

10. The tool of claim 9; and an extraneous implement formotivating thebit cage as to the barrel and being insertible through the barrel andinterlockable with the cage to rotate it.

11. A unitary seli-cutting-ofl. assembly for attachment in a well-tooloperating string and including a body member having means at its ends toattach said member to string sections, a system of cutting bitsoperative in said member, actuable means in said member for thrustingthe bits into cutting action against said member to sever it andincluding a cage in which the bits are operatively disposed and which isaxially movable in the body member, means reacting on the bits duringsuch axial movement to force the bits outwardly for cutting efiect, andmeans for actuating the actu'able means to efiect rotation of said bits.

12. A deep'well-tool string connector body fixably fixed and removablyattached at its ends to upper and lower sections thereof for torque andtension transmission in usual string section operations when made up,said connector provided with means for its own severance to divide thestring sections, when connected thereto, at will and independently ofany operations of the madeup connector and string sections; said meansincluding a carrier mounted. in and rotatively supported by said body, aset of cutting bits expansively mounted on the carrier and engaging thebody wall to sever it, and means for rotating the carrier relative tothe body to effect cut by the cutters.

1 said expanding means; said cage being rotative" 13. The connector ofclaim 12; the last named means including a rotary stem insertableaxially into and through the made-up string and said body.

14, The connector of claim 12, and bit feeder means including a deviceconstantly pressing the bits to said body.

KENNETH E. WAGGENER.

